summer

  • Dramatic Play Beach Props

    While you may not be able to get to the beach this summer, you can definitely make your classroom feel a little more like the beach.  Here are a list of props that you can collect for your dramatic play center to help create imaginative beach days: Beach towels Empty sunscreen bottles Sunglasses Beach umbrellas Sand toys Rafts and inflatable pool toys Beach balls Sun hats Flip flops Snorkel and flippers Your students can help you make a list of all of the things that they would need to take to the beach, they might come up with additional items that you had never even considered!

  • Beach-Themed Sand Play

    We may have hit the official halfway mark for summer when we celebrated the 4th of July last week, but that just means that we still have half of summer left to enjoy! What better way to enjoy all things summer time than with a trip to the beach?! While I would love to live near the beach – and around here we can make a day trip to Lake Erie happen – it’s not exactly a place that you can take a field trip to.  Child care licensing tends to frown on large bodies of water, so we usually have to bring the beach to us.  The perfect place…

  • Friday Freebie – Number Puzzles

    Happy Friday! Aren’t holiday weeks the best?! They go by so fast and then it’s the weekend again. I love these number sequencing puzzles, and this summer set from Klever Kiddos could not be cuter! These are great practice and can be used to focus on the number sequencing, or putting the picture together in the correct order. Go download your set and have a wonderful weekend!

  • Happy 4th!

    Image Source Happy 4th of July! I hope that you are all taking time to enjoy your families and celebrate freedom and summer today!I’m looking forward to spending time outside and lots of barbecue.  My family also has a tradition of making homemade ice cream for the 4th and I can’t wait to get my hands on some of that! Enjoy your holiday and your celebrations!

  • Friday Freebie – 4th of July Bingo

    Happy Friday! For many of you this is the start of a long Holiday weekend and I hope that you enjoy every minute! Today’s freebie is an adorable printable 4th of July Bingo game from Crazy Little Projects.I especially love the variety of images included on this Bingo board, it would be a great way to introduce some new vocabulary and historical figures as you play.  Go download your copy and have a wonderful weekend!

  • 4th of July Fruit Salad

    I love to make fruit salad with little ones for a couple of different reasons.  First, and most obvious being that it gets them really excited about eating fruit – they get to help every step of the way and that ownership gives them the confidence to try things that they otherwise may not.  The second wonderful thing about fruit salad is that it is relatively easy to put together, you may need to cut up some of the ingredients, but other than that it is just pouring and mixing.  There is no cooking involved at all. This fruit salad is perfect for a patriotic summer event. It uses red…

  • Patriotic Ribbon Wands

    For Memorial Day I shared a tutorial for paper pinwheels that would be perfect for a parade or party decorations, so today I wanted to share another fun party toy that is easy for kids to make: Ribbon Wands. I know that this is not a new or novel idea in the slightest, but young children often love he simplest things and there are so many different variations and materials that you can use to create a basic ribbon wand.  It is easy for children to personalize their own, and you can select materials that meet your budget constraints as well as the theme or tone of your party. For…

  • 4th of July Play Dough

    On Friday I shared a free set of 4th of July Play Dough Mats, so today I wanted to make sure I gave you a play dough recipe to go with it.  I am very picky about my homemade play dough, I don’t like it to be too oily or too salty, and I really don’t like it when it dries your hands out while you play with it.  I tried a ton of different recipes before finally finding my favorite, which is from Kristalynn.com  (follow the link to see the entire recipe).  You can make it any colors that you want, and it’s the perfect base for adding fun extras.…

  • Friday Freebie – 4th of July Play Dough Fun

    Happy Friday! How does the summer fly by so quickly?! It’s already time to start thinking about the 4th of July. Today’s freebie can be used in your classroom or with your own children, making it perfect no matter what you’re up to this holiday.  Go download this set of 4th of July Play Dough Mats from Preschool Unplugged, and have a wonderful weekend. Check back next week for a ton more 4th of July activities too!

  • Fourth of July Round Up

    The 4th of July is my all-time favorite holiday, but it has a way of sneaking up on me and I always seem to find myself slightly unprepared.  Since it’s coming at us quickly, and it just happens to fall at the beginning of the week this year, I wanted to make sure I had plenty of time to share all of my ideas with you! I’m going to start with some past posts for the holiday because the ideas are still great! So as you start your own planning, make sure to take some time to check these out: Teaching Patriotism 10 Ideas for Exploring Fireworks Last Minute 4th…